Every safe and smooth landing begins long before the wheels touch down. In the kick-off off The Secret to Perfect Landings series, Jason Schappert shares three essential elements every pilot should master: flying a perfect pattern, maintaining proper airspeed, and transitioning smoothly instead of flaring. Building on the 31-Day Safer Pilot Challenge, Jason sets the tone for a new month of focused training designed to refine landings through precision, awareness, and routine.
A Perfect Landing Starts with a Perfect Pattern
Jason begins by emphasizing that every great landing starts with a well-flown traffic pattern. The pattern should always resemble a clean rectangle—not a distorted trapezoid. Managing altitude, spacing, and wind correction ensures consistency and alignment for the final approach. Whether extended downwind or directed to enter from an unusual base, the pilot’s goal remains the same: arrive at the same point on final, in a stable configuration, every single time.
Airspeed Is King
The second key to perfect landings, Jason explains, is airspeed control. “Pitch for airspeed, power for altitude,” he reminds pilots. Knowing and maintaining target speeds—90 knots on downwind, 80 on base, 70 on final, and about 65 over the runway threshold—makes all the difference between a firm arrival and a smooth touchdown. By managing throttle and flap inputs carefully, pilots can ensure that their approach remains stable, predictable, and within safe performance margins.
Ditch the Word “Flare”
Jason’s final tip challenges one of aviation’s most common landing terms: the “flare.” Instead, he encourages pilots to think in terms of “transitioning.” Rather than abruptly pulling back and risking a hard landing, pilots should gradually transition into a slow-flight attitude, maintaining visual reference down the runway. This mindset shift helps prevent over-rotation and keeps the aircraft aligned for a gentle touchdown. The key is keeping your eyes down the runway, not at the numbers, while smoothly leveling off just above the surface.
The Takeaway and What’s Next
Jason wraps up the lesson by previewing the upcoming videos, where each of the three secrets—pattern, airspeed, and transition—will be explored in detail. The goal is to help pilots build repeatable habits and confidence in every approach.
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